Barrowford couple whose first child was stillborn take on the Great Manchester Run in support of baby loss charity Friends of Serenity

Amy and Ashley Scott entered the 10km race to express their gratitude to Friends of Serenity after their first baby was stillborn in 2019.

The couple, who were running on their fifth wedding anniversary, ran together and held hands for the final 1km as they spurred each other on.

They were part of a 16-strong team who raised more than £4,000 for the charity, marking its tenth year.

Amy, who entered the event ten years ago, said: “We’d used the Butterfly Suite at LWNC at the time of our loss and we wanted to say thank you for the important work the charity does for families in our situation.

“As I crossed the finish line I cried – in fact I cried the whole of the last 1km. It was the heat and tired legs but mainly because I was overwhelmed at the support and took a moment to soak it all in, realising what we had just done, in memory of our baby.”

The charity’s work has raised more than £250,000, funding two suites at the Lancashire Women’s and Newborn Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, where families can spend time with their baby.

Founder Joanne Edwards said: “It was a fantastic day and the heat made it a real challenge, but there was a great atmosphere with thousands of people watching and cheering us on. That really lifted us and kept us going when it got tough.”

Joanne, who founded the charity following the loss of her son, Luke, added: “I originally asked for ten places in the race for Friends of Serenity but we ended up with 16 people wanting to run for us because they all wanted to give something back. That made it really emotional on the day and I’m so grateful for everyone’s support.”

Midwife Julie McNevin-Duff, from the Rainbow Clinic at Burnley, was also in the crowd cheering on the group.

Amy added: “I saw her at 1km and then again at 9km and she really gave me the push we needed and reminded me why we were running in the first place.”

To support the Friends of Serenity runners, visit https://greatmanchesterrun2023.enthuse.com/friendsofserenity/profile